The Witcher video game, launched in 2007, was the start of a major revolution. While the original game was fairly popular, its true purpose was to introduce players to the existing world of the future award-winning franchise – the stunning Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, and the peak of the series, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. With decades between these releases, the original game is starting to look and feel its age – but developer CD Projekt Red has major plans to remedy that.
As recently announced, The Witcher is getting a major remake in future. But while many assumed it would be a direct translation of the original game’s action and gameplay, CD Projekt Red’s latest financial reports have made clear this is not the case.
In its Q3 2022 earnings report, as surfaced by GameSpot, the studio refers to project ‘Canis Majoris’ aka The Witcher Remake as a ‘story-driven, single player open-world RPG – a modern reimagining of 2007’s The Witcher.’
Notably, the first game and its sequel were not open-world – they were more linear action adventures that pulled players through zone-based quests. In ‘reimagining’ the action of the original, it appears CD Projekt Red is looking to align it more with The Witcher 3, which featured more a more flexible, player-driven gameplay structure.
Read: CD Projekt Red confirms new Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, and mystery title
So far, these are the only details officially released for the upcoming remake – but what we do know is certainly intriguing. Most modern remakes seek to preserve the gameplay and structure of their predecessors, but it appears CD Projekt Red is approaching this project rather differently. The Witcher Remake is likely to be a more modern-feeling game as a result.
Elsewhere in its Q3 2022 earnings report, CD Projekt Red noted the bright future of its major franchises, detailing every new game on the way (a new Witcher trilogy, a third-party Witcher game from The Molasses Flood, a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, and a new IP known as Hadar).
After a tumultuous few years, it appears the studio is back on track with bold plans, and a refreshed outlook. Stay tuned to hear more about the latest projects and game announcements from CD Projekt Red.
